Don't Check Your Brains At the Door by Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler

This was my first experience reading a book by Josh McDowell. It was a quick and easy read. My almost 13 year old boy also read this book. I enjoyed the scripture references, but honestly thought the chapters were too short. I would read a chapter and think, that's it? The book really left me hungry for more. It was broken up really well into different categories: Myths About God, Myths About Jesus, Myths About the Bible, Myths About the Resurrection, Myths About Religion & Christianity and Myths About Life & Happiness. I loved the categories, but I really wish there had been more information. I thought my almost 13 year old would learn a lot by reading the book, but most of the information he had already been taught. I wish I could recommend this book to others, but I really wouldn't recommend it. I don't think I would read it a second time, either. I was ready to finish it about 30 pages into it.

I am thankful for the opportunity to review this book free of charge from Thomas Nelson! Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Daddy Dates by Greg Wright

Daddy Dates by Greg Wright is a wonderful book for anyone(a mother or father) that wants to raise a strong, confident daughter. I was given the chance to read this book by Booksneeze and am so thankful for the opportunity! I laughed, I cried and I've tucked away a lot of helpful information about raising girls. We have 3 daughters, so I think the information will come in handy! The book was written really well, almost like Greg was sitting across from you at the coffee shop and was explaining what worked for him and his family. It is a book that I wish I could buy a copy for everyone of our friends that has daughters. I believe it could make a ton of difference in a young girls self esteem if fathers simply followed the principles in this book. He talks about spending time doing things that your daughters enjoy doing. He doesn't suggest simply quality time, but time doing an activity they enjoy and actually talking to them. I lost my Daddy when I was a preteen, but I had a wonderful relationship with him, because he took time to talk to me. We went on walks and talked and did things I wanted to do. It was not all about him. This book has really made me examine my parenting and I hope it helps me be a better parent.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that has a daughter, no matter if she's 1 or 21! This book was received from Thomas Nelson Press in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are my own and have not been influenced in any way.

There's a stranger in my house...

The lyrics to this song really don't fit, but the title explains a little about how I feel these days. We moved on July 3rd to the Dallas, TX area. The job change was somewhat sudden, but Ernie had been over here working for 2 months before we found a house that we fell in love with and made the big move. It's only a 5 hour drive, but it's still a HUGE change for our family. Ernie was born in our home city and I'd been there for most of my life and all of our family is there, so moving was pretty scary. So, we made the move. I love my house. I love the yard. I love the city. It's beautiful here and everything I need is within just a few minutes. We are in a suburb northeast of Dallas and I love it!!! Shopping is all a lot closer than it was at home in Louisiana. I really didn't expect that at all. I think we've already found a home church. I've found a ladies Bible study and tonight I found a Celebrate Recovery group. I think God has us exactly where He wants us, but I feel restless. I don't feel like me for some crazy reason. I look around my house and wonder why am I here? Everything feels very different. Maybe it's just because it's a big change. It's scary being in an area where I know no one. But at the same time I am excited about starting a new chapter in my life. Hopefully a chapter where I will figure out exactly who I am and what my gifts are. I would love to know where I am needed in this world. I know I'm needed as a wife and a mother, but outside of that, I'd love to find something that I excel at. I think getting out from under our family's guidance is really going to help us in the long run. I think I'm going to figure out exactly who I am over here. I feel so much more alive(when I'm not feeling totally overwhelmed) and so much happier over here. I'm not feeling suffocated and rejected, because the family members I love are either too in our business or pushing us away because we aren't doing what they think we are doing. We are slowly getting unpacked, one box at a time. The kids bedrooms and the living room look the best out of every room of the house, but the other rooms are coming along, when Elayna lets me put her down! She's started standing up holding on to the backs of my legs, which means I don't get much done because I can't move! All in all, I love this area. My kids love it here. We haven't met many people, yet, but they are loving the people that they have met. It's going to take some adjusting on my part, but I think we are going to be so much happier here on the whole, than we were in Louisiana!

How to Be God's Little Princess by Sheila Walsh

I requested this book, intending to read it with my 10 year old and she could not wait for me to read it with her. She devoured the book in a day or two and had answered most of the quizzes in the book. If you have ever had any questions about etiquette, manners, poise, modesty, friendships, etc., then this is a great book to read! I loved that there was scripture tied into the book. It is very encouraging and a wonderful book. I found it very fitting for my 10 year old. Even with the book being pink and Princess in the title, I do think it is very appropriate for older girls. How to Be God's Little Princess sparked a lot of conversation between my daughter and me and I loved it! I wish I had had a book like this to read when I was her age. I think it would have kept me out of a lot of awkward situations. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone with 9, 10 or 11 year old daughters.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

My goals for the 100 Day Chip Quest

There is a group I follow on Twitter, started by Brad Gansberg. It is full of supportive people that are trying to better themselves. They are all very encouraging and motivating! There is a 7 Day Chip and a 30 Day Chip where you decide what you are going to work on for 7 or 30 days. I have tried to earn a chip by not binge eating. Today, they are starting a 100 Day Chip Quest. I need something that will really challenge me and I think this is the perfect thing! It will go through June 30th. I need it for accountability and love the support and encouragement this group brings!

These are my goals for the next 100 Days:

1. Drink at least 100oz of water every day. Some days this is a piece of cake. Some days it's a struggle to drink 8oz.

2. No cokes of any kind. I cut out regular coke in January, but now it's time to cut out the occasional diet coke. I will still drink some tea. I love my tea!

3. Track every single thing I eat and drink. I am really struggling with tracking every bite. If it's something I shouldn't eat, I don't want to track it!

4. Exercise at least 5 days per week. Whether it's a class, walking the track or strength training, I want some activity at least 5 days per week. One of those days must fall on the weekend. I am not going to take two rest days in a row.

5. Read the Bible and do a devotion every single day. Dig deep and really open up in my step study and not fear what others might think about me. I need to work on some issues and it's a great safe place to work on them.

These are my goals. It's going to be a great 100 days, but I'm nervous at the same time. These things are challenging for me, but I should be able to handle them!

2011 is the year for challenges...

So, I love challenges, but have not been looking for them for the past several years. I'd gotten lazy. I was letting life pass me by without getting in on the fun. That's going to stop! So far this year, I've joined a group at a friend's church that's called Fit in 8. It's an 8 week bootcamp type group. There are 4 instructors from various gyms, one of which happens to be the best Body Combat instructor I've ever seen, and they work us out. There is strength training, cardio and a little bit of yoga. It's been very interesting so far! We are half way through the challenge and I'm really starting to dread seeing it end. I struggled with going yesterday. I had a major attitude problem yesterday and struggled with everything! I was so glad I got out and did it, though. I had a great time and I felt so much better afterwards. I haven't been getting enough sleep this week. It's messed up a lot of things! That was my first challenge I willingly joined this year, but it has pushed me to look for other challenges. For the month of March, I joined a group called Go the Distance. I pledged to walk 50 miles and strength train at least 3 days a week. That sounds fairly simple to me. Then yesterday, I came across a challenge to do 300 lunges a week for 3 months. I was a week late joining them, so I've got some catching up to do, but I'm going to catch up and succeed! I HATE, HATE, HATE lunges! I know they are so good for me, though!

This is a year to put forth some effort. To regain control over my eating and emotions. I read a tweet a few days ago that said so so effort yields so so results. That is why I haven't succeeded the last few times I've done weight watchers. I've been putting in so so effort. I had a bad habit of binging for two or three days and hoping that mostly eating good the other days of the week would give me a good weigh in. Well, it didn't happen. It might have worked occasionally, but not overall. I'm done with half hearted weight loss efforts. I am giving it my all.

I Ain't Settlin' For Just Getting By...

I've had enough so-so
For the rest of my life
Tired of shooting too low
So raise the bar high
"Just enough," ain't enough this time
I ain't settlin' for anything less than everything

This song by Sugarland came on when I was driving yesterday and I think it could be my life song right now. I have been thinking about making some life changes, but then I talk myself out of it, because I'm scared of change. I'm not a huge fan of Dr. Phil, but any time I would think about being scared of changing, I could hear him asking "How's that working for you?". I think that might have been a sign that it was time to change. I returned to Weight Watchers, because I know in the back of my mind that Weight Watchers works. I have been successful with it in the past. About 8 years ago, I lost 70lbs doing Weight Watchers in a little over 6 months. I got pregnant, lost the baby and found myself sinking back into depression and not caring about my health or working out once again. I have tried going back to Weight Watchers probably 4 or 5 times since then and have always given up. The time that I was successful, I had a good friend going with me that needed to lose fairly close to the same amount of weight and it became a competition. I am very competitive and love a challenge. In the end, I could not keep the weight off that time, though. I put it back on.

So, here I am again. What is different this time? I have no competition. I have no one to go to meetings with me. Our meetings are full of a lot of grandmotherly women. I have to stand in line 45 minutes to an hour to weigh in. But, the question is what is different. I had heard the click the first time. Obviously, I lost 70lbs. I was staying within my points & meeting friends at the gym. I was enjoying the process, but I was still eating a lot of junk. Better than before WW, but the goal was simply to eat less than 32 points a day. This time I am trying to focus on eating mostly fruits & veggies. I am trying to get more protein from beans & boiled eggs. I am eating a little meat & carbs, but not much. I am exercising, a lot. Some days I think I am obsessed with it.

What else is different? I am trying to work through & accept my past. Everyone has their inner demons & I am trying to acknowledge & let mine go. Comments made by my stepdad when I was growing up still rear their ugly head during my weak moments.

"You're wearing the largest size made(xl), what are you going to do when you outgrow it?"

"You can't have that coke, because you are fat."

"You are not allowed to drink coke, because you are overweight. We can drink it, because we do not have a weight problem."

"You will end up married to someone like him *pointing at a huge man that could barely walk*, because NO ONE else would ever love you."

"Are you really going to eat that?"

"Do you think you need that?"

My mom would tell me to ignore the comments. She would tell me I could have coke when I was out of the house. She bought coke & some foods for me and I hid them under my bed. I am not blaming my food & coke addiction & obesity on them. I cannot change the past, but I do have to work through it to be able to heal.

My Daddy, the parent that I felt like accepted me for who I really was, the one that I didn't feel like I had to earn his love, died unexpectedly when I was 13. He had epilepsy & had a seizure in his sleep & suffocated in his pillow. I will never forget the previous weekend. I asked him if I could move in with him. I was so miserable at home. He said yes & I was ecstatic. Then a couple of days later, I was sitting in first period & the overhead speaker came on asking me to come to the guidance counselor's office. I walked in her office and my mom was sitting there. She told me to sit down & then told me my Daddy had passed away in his sleep. I remember not understanding & asking if she said my Pappaw. She said no, my Dad. I remember sobbing & wishing it was my stepdad. My Daddy was such a great person. He loved people unconditionally. He didn't judge people. And I was left living with one of the most judgemental people I'd ever known. I remember standing at his coffin & holding his hands. I remember screaming & crying throughout the funeral. I remember wanting to die, because in my mind there was nobody else that loved me.

The next few years got worse. I hid in my room a lot. If my mom or stepdad were home, I stayed in my room. There were days I was scared to walk through the house if my stepdad was home, because I never knew what kind of mood he might be in. I started hanging out with the wrong crowd at school. I desperately wanted attention & wanted my mom to love me in a way I could see. She started taking me to "Tough Love" meetings, exposing me to way more than I'd seen in school. I guess someone suggested Tough Love. All I needed was a parent to show me unconditional love & that they wanted to spend time with me. All I wanted was love & acceptance. I started running to food to numb the pain. When my heart was constantly empty & breaking, food made me feel better for a little while.

Once the cycle started and I started gaining weight, I started hiding behind the weight. I could be an introvert. When you are overweight, there are people that completely over look you. They act like you don't exist at all. If friends stop talking to you or no longer want to do things with you, you can always blame it on the weight. I can tell myself that maybe they were embarrassed about my size. That's much easier to swallow than maybe they just don't like me. It's easy to eat and not care about what you are eating and to sit behind a computer screen for hours and not be active. But, after 14 years of that, it's not working for me any more. There are days that I don't like myself. There are days that I have no energy. I am done with that. I am tired of not taking care of myself. I am tired of not putting myself first.

So, this February has been life changing for me. I have decided once and for all that there are no more excuses. There will always be some excuse, if you are not ready to do the work. That's how I got here. Excuses, excuses, excuses. How's that working for me? It's gotten me almost 100lbs overweight. That is no longer working for me. I want to be free. I want to run. I want to enjoy life. I want to love myself. I do not love myself at this weight. I really don't. I'm starting to turn that around. This month, I have dropped 11 pounds. I am not sure how many inches, because I just decided to measure yesterday. I have dropped one pants size. I have completely given up coke. For someone drinking 3-6 cokes a day, that's a huge step. I have given up most sugar and most carbs. The craving for most of those is completely gone. That's God. It's not me. I've tried many times to give up cokes and carbs and have been a failure. I'm reading Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst and it is rocking my socks off. I am participating in a Fit in 8 weeks challenge at a friend's church. It has been a huge blessing. It is fun to learn about how God does not want us to be overweight and sluggish. That is convicting. Knowing that eating the way I have eaten for years is a sin, is very convicting. We are not supposed to look to food for comfort. I have always done that. That is why I am the size I am! I have no doubts that with God's help, this will be a successful journey for me.